Housing

HB 226 requires Maryland's Department of Disabilities to establish affordable and accessible housing programs for people with disabilities. It also allows the department to create affiliated foundations that can raise funds from businesses, nonprofits, and individuals to support housing initiatives, assistive technology, employment accommodations, and community living programs. These foundations operate separately from the state government and cannot be considered state agencies or incur state debt. The bill directly affects individuals with disabilities by expanding access to housing and related support services through these new programs and funding mechanisms.

HB 432 repeals a provision in Maryland law that allowed municipalities to prohibit "vagrancy" (laws targeting homeless or loitering individuals without clear purpose). The bill directly affects local governments by removing their legal authority to enforce such vagrancy prohibitions under Section 5-207(c)(2) of the Maryland Annotated Code. Key mechanisms include deleting "vagrancy" from the list of activities municipalities could ban, while preserving other related powers like prohibiting gambling or vice. The change takes effect October 1, 2026, and represents a concrete policy shift in local law enforcement authority.